Hell Gate

by Josh Matthews

  “We’re going to make a run for the front of the cathedral and lead them out of the nave.”

  “You mean outside where the rest of those things are waiting?” Ray asked.

  “No. We’re going to head for the top of the tower and let them follow us. That way they can’t swarm us, and we have a better chance of controlling their advance. Follow me, and use ammo only when you have to.”

  Without waiting for their reaction, Sasha ran down the northern aisle. Half a dozen Nachzehrer blocked her path. Firing up the minigun, she let loose a five-second burst that cleared the path. The noise attracted the attention of the remaining demons. As one, the horde sauntered toward the group.

  When Sasha reached the base of the tower, she pushed the others into the spiral stairwell. “Head for the top and clear out anything ahead of us.”

  “What about you?” Shane asked.

  “I’ll be right behind you. Followed by them.” She gestured over her shoulder toward the advancing Nachzehrer. Sasha spun around and faced the approaching horde. “Come on, you bastards. You don’t want to pass up the only meal you’ve had in months.”

  She waited until the Nachzehrer were ten feet away and opened up with the minigun, spraying it back and forth across the horde. The concentrated fire tore into the first two rows of demons, splattering body parts across the nave and sending dozens of blue eddies of light toward the arched ceiling. Those in back stumbled over the carcasses and closed in, their hands outstretched. Sasha backed into the stairwell, climbed ten steps, and waited. When the first Nachzehrer centered itself in the opening, she fired a one-second burst that blasted it apart. Others swarmed past the remnants. Sasha climbed ten more steps and fired another one-second burst, taking down the next two demons in line, and then climbed ten more steps to give the others a chance to follow.

  Come on, Jason. You can do this.

  “They’re getting closer.” Haneef stood in the center of the street, keeping his eye on the Nachzehrer approaching from the square.

  “We have to wait for Sasha to clear out the nave otherwise this isn’t going to work.”

  Haneef shook his head in resignation. “We are keeping Allah busy this afternoon.”

  The remainder of the group stood in a semi-circle, their weapons at the ready.

  Jason waited until he could no longer hear Sasha’s minigun, hoping that it meant she had successfully led the Nachzehrer away. Pushing the door open, he cautiously stepped inside and moved over to the nave. The last of the Nachzehrer were pushing their way into the tower’s stairwell. He waved for the others to join him. Haneef entered last, pausing long enough to lock the doors.

  Jason pointed toward the Hell Gate. “Okay, Doc. Close it down. The rest of you spread out and keep your eyes open for danger.”

  While Neal hovered near Doc, the others formed a circle around him. The werehounds stayed with Jason.

  We might do this, thought Jason. We might actually—

  Lilith’s growling broke his train of thought. “What’s wrong, girl?”

  Lilith stared up at the balcony that ran above the northern aisle. Six soul vampires crouched on the railing, glaring down at the group.

  On the opposite side of the Hell Gate, the commotion inside Notre Dame attracted the attention of the closest Golem. It swung its massive head to one side and surveyed its realm. Unusual sounds emanated from the cathedral, and the Nachzehrer inside were on the march. Swinging its body around, the Golem shambled toward the portal to check on the disturbance.

  Antoine reached the roof first and crossed over to the western edge. Glancing down into the square, he mumbled under his breath, “Merde.”

  Those Nachzehrer in the square were converging on the front façade of Notre Dame. Even worse, the noise had attracted every other Nachzehrer in the vicinity. Hundreds emerged from side streets throughout Ile de la Cite, with scores more crossing the bridges spanning the northern Seine. The two Golem had climbed the stairs in front of the one remaining door and were pounding on it to gain access.

  Shane stepped up beside him. “What’s wrong?”

  Antoine motioned toward the square. “We’ve got company.”

  Shane leaned out over the wall and whistled. “You know, that sucks big time.”

  “Tell me about it. At least we’re safe up here.” The Moroccan headed toward the stairs and saw only Ray standing there. “Where’s Sasha?”

  “She’s still drawing those things toward us.”

  Sasha could see sunlight pouring through the opening to the roof. She had been holding off the Nachzehrer for five minutes, climbing ten steps at a time and releasing short bursts to keep them following her. She figured she had killed close to fifty, although twice that number remained. Even worse, by her estimate she had already expended half her ammunition.

  Spinning around, she ran the last few yards up the stairs and burst into the sunlight. The others waited for her.

  “What now?” Ray asked.

  Sasha faced the stairwell and aimed her minigun at the opening. “Now we make our last stand.”

  The soul vampires launched themselves off the balcony into the nave.

  Lucifer and Lilith, now morphed into their demonic forms, pounced on two of the demons as they landed, pinning them to the floor. Lilith’s jaws clenched around one soul vampire’s neck and bit down. It growled and tried to break free. She arched her stinger over her head and plunged it into the struggling demon’s chest. The soul vampire cried out and thrashed around, its movements becoming weaker with each passing second. Once Lilith subdued it, she whipped her jaws to the side and tore off its head.

  The other soul vampire scratched at Lucifer’s sides, succeeding only in ripping out its talons on his scales. With his right paw, Lucifer slapped the demon off the side of its head, snapping its neck. A third soul vampire jumped on Lucifer’s back, hoping to attack his spine, and instead became impaled on the three-inch spikes around the werehound’s shoulder. In desperation, it vomited acid on Lucifer, covering the werehound’s back. The acid sizzled against the scales. Lucifer yelped and bucked, dislodging the demon and throwing it to one side where it lay shriveled, coddling its wounds. The werehound shook its back, trying to throw off the acid and ease the burning.

  The fourth soul vampire landed in front of Jason. He raised the crossbow and pulled the trigger. The demon ducked. Instead of striking its heart, the arrow lodged in its neck. The demon dropped to its knees and howled, trying to remove it. Jason replaced the arrow and fired again. This time, it struck the soul vampire’s chest a few inches from its heart. Jason reached for another arrow, only to discover that he had run out. Throwing the crossbow aside, he slid out his machete and stepped forward. The demon glared at him and snarled. Jason brought down the blade on its skull, cleaving its head in half.

  That’s when Jason heard Lucifer whine. He turned to see the werehound covered in acid, and the offending soul vampire on the floor, several holes punched into its chest. Jason rushed over. The soul vampire arched its head toward him, and Jason could smell acid vomit on its breath. Raising the machete above his head, he brought the blade straight down, slicing into the demon’s skull where the eyes would normally be. It convulsed. Jason twisted the machete to the right, scrambling the demon’s brain.

  The fifth soul vampire chose Jeanette as its target. Jeanette waited until it had gotten within range and then plunged her machete into its abdomen. The blade punctured the skin with a dull squish. The soul vampire froze. Jeanette pulled up, slicing the blade along its torso, and jumped back. Its skin opened up with a sickening tearing sound, and its internal organs snaked out and plopped onto the floor. The acid vomit sack ruptured on impact, sending corrosive liquid splattering across its disemboweled organs. Jeanette stepped forward and swung her machete sideways, slicing through the demon’s neck.

  Slava shot at the last soul vampire when it landed in front of him. The demon moved too fast, and only a few rounds thudded harmlessly into its abdomen. It circled aro
und and charged. Slava aimed again and fired. Two rounds left the FAMAS when the bolt stuck in the open position. Before Slava could react, the soul vampire ran into him and knocked him to the ground. The Russian tried to keep the FAMAS between himself and the demon, pushing the weapon against its chest. He had a tenuous grip that would not hold for long, so he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

  Sook-kyoung appeared out of nowhere and kicked the demon in the head, knocking it off Slava. When it stopped rolling, she fired a sustained burst from her FAMAS that ran up its chest. The last three rounds ruptured its heart, and the soul vampire toppled over backward. The young woman reached out a hand and helped Slava to his feet. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. And thanks.” He reached into his ammo bag for another magazine, only to find it empty. “I’m out.”

  “Same here.”

  The two looked around, hoping no one other Hell Spawn were nearby.

  Neal crouched and held open the saddlebag as Doc, who knelt in front of him, used his hand to undo the flap and slide out the antimatter device.

  “Hurry up.”

  “Don’t rush me,” Doc chided his assistant. He checked on the battle with the soul vampires, relieved that none of the demons were interested in them. Doc removed the device with his good arm and, as he did, Neal tossed aside the saddlebag. One way or another, it would all be over in a minute.

  Being preoccupied with the soul vampires, no one noticed the Golem step through the Hell Gate into the cathedral and lumber toward Doc.

  The first four Nachzehrer exited the stairwell onto the roof of the tower.

  “Fire!”

  Sasha sighted in on the lead Nachzehrer and squeezed the trigger. The demon blew apart, showering those behind it with chunks of decayed flesh and gore. She lifted her finger off the trigger, switched her aim to another Nachzehrer, and fired again, decimating it. The others each took careful aim, lining up their shots before firing. At first, the tactic worked fine, bringing down ten Nachzehrer in the first few seconds. Soon the mass pushing its way up the stairwell became too heavy, and an increasing number made their way onto the roof. Some stumbled over the remains of the other demons, spoiling the humans’ aim. Others staggered off to the sides, spreading across the roof and threatening to outflank the team. Sasha and the others increased their rate of fire. They succeeded in taking down all the Nachzehrer that reached the roof, yet were going through their ammunition at an alarming rate.

  The flood of Nachzehrer continued.

  Jason checked on Doc and Neal as the Golem stepped up behind them, its arm raised above its head.

  “Doc, look out!”

  The two men glanced over their shoulders. Neal jumped out of the way. Doc was still on his knees and could not move fast enough. The Golem slammed its fist on top of Doc’s head, crushing him into the floor. His body ruptured, sending internal organs and blood spewing across the tiles. The antimatter device flew out of Doc’s arm and rolled across the floor, heading for the lava. Because of its oblong shape, it wobbled to one side and curved back toward the center of the floor, coming to rest ten yards from Jason. The Golem ignored Neal and moved toward the device.

  Josh watched Doc’s death with a sense of sadness and anger. It sucked that he had to die so close to completing his mission. To fail now was inexcusable. He knew he had one chance to save the situation. Without hesitating, Josh dropped his FAMAS and rushed the Golem. The demon raised its right foot, ready to stomp on the device. Crouching, Josh crashed into its left leg and shoved, wrapping his arms around the limb to get a better grip. Caught off balance, the Golem staggered to its left toward the lava. Josh kept on pushing until the monstrosity toppled over and plunged into the molten river. Josh released his grip, but momentum carried him forward, and he tumbled into the flow. He hoped his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

  The pain when he hit the lava was excruciating yet brief.

  Sasha kept her finger on the trigger, swinging the minigun from side to side to stem the unending flow of Nachzehrer. Beside her, the others switched their weapons to fully automatic mode and emptied them into the swarm, replaced their empty magazines, and resumed firing. The noise from the weapons was deafening. Even out here in the open air, the combined smell of burnt gunpowder and rotting flesh was overpowering, making their eyes water.

  Shane was the first to expend all his ammunition. “That’s it. I’m out.”

  “Me, too,” added Ray a moment later.

  The bolt on Antoine’s FAMAS locked back, signifying he had used up his last round. He tossed the automatic weapon aside. “Merde.”

  Sasha kept up the assault, swinging the minigun from side to side. There were too many Nachzehrer to stop them all. Eventually, the last of her ammunition was used up. The only sounds were the whir of the minigun’s spinning barrel mount and the moans of the remaining demons. Close to two dozen had survived, and they moved across the roof and circled the humans.

  “We’re screwed,” said Shane.

  “Not yet.” Sasha unbuckled the chest straps to her minigun and slid the device and backpack off her shoulders. Sliding her machete from its sheath, she held it in front of her, her knuckles tightening around the grip. “Come on, boys. It’s time to get close and personal.”

  Jason watched as Josh’s body fell into the lava and ignited. He closed his eyes as the burning corpse flowed past. He would say a prayer for his fallen comrade later if he lived that long.

  A crash at the front of the nave caught his attention. The door to the remaining entrance fell to the ground. The two Golem from outside entered the cathedral, accompanied by a swarm of Nachzehrer.

  Jason rushed over to the antimatter device and scooped it up, then raced to the Hell Gate.

  Sasha’s team slashed their way into the approaching horde as if their lives depended on it because, in fact, they did.

  Sasha stepped forward and plunged her machete into the face of the closest Nachzehrer. It stiffened as the blade sliced into its brain. Placing her foot on its chest, Sasha pushed. The Nachzehrer slid off the blade and tumbled into another demon, knocking it to the ground.

  Antoine moved in between two Nachzehrer and slashed to the right and then to the left, decapitating both.

  Shane gouged one in the abdomen, tearing open its guts. The Nachzehrer stumbled and fell on its own intestines.

  Ray went to slice a Nachzehrer across the neck. It moved at the last moment, and the blade lodged deep in its shoulder. Ray tried to pull the machete free, but it stuck in the rotted flesh. Rather than abandon his weapon, he continued yanking at it. The blade would not move. The Nachzehrer grabbed Ray by the shirt and pulled him close, sinking its teeth into his neck. Ray cried out for help. Two more converged on him and dragged him to the ground. His screams echoed across the roof as the Nachzehrer feasted on his flesh.

  The others took down Nachzehrer one by one, yet there were too many, and exhaustion slowed each team member. The remaining Nachzehrer soon had the humans back against the wall. Eight Nachzehrer trapped Sasha and Shane along the west wall. The two slashed away. Shane stood in front of Sasha, swinging madly from left to right. He managed to slice one across the face, ripping out its eyes. Two more grabbed him and dragged him down. The last five swarmed Sasha. They closed in around her, pinning her arms to her side and pushing against her. A set of teeth dug into her shoulder, biting through the flight suit and piercing the skin. A decayed hand clawed at her face, the fingers gouging at her eyes. Rather than be eaten alive, Sasha tumbled backward over the edge of the wall, plummeting three hundred feet to the ground below, and taking three of the Nachzehrer with her.

  With the last of their food supply almost gone, the surviving Nachzehrer converged on Antoine, who was surrounded in the northeast corner.

  Jason paused fifteen feet from the Hell Gate to check the device and make sure it was intact. In the nave, Jeanette, Haneef, Sook-kyoung, Slava, Neal, and Reinhard had formed a tight line, their machetes drawn, ready to meet the on
coming threat from outside. The two werehounds stood amongst them. He had to act now if—

  “Jason?”

  A chill raced down his spine. He knew the voice, although he had not heard it in months. It came from the last person he expected to see at this moment. Jason stared at the Hell Gate, his mouth agape.

  “Mom?”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Jason’s mother ran toward him from the other side of the Hell Gate. The three other Golem that lumbered toward the portal to stop the commotion inside the cathedral stood between her and safety. She was much thinner than when he had seen her last at CERN. Her clothes were soiled and torn. Her long hair had been chopped short. She had that weary, emotionless expression of someone who had seen too much for the mind to grasp. Despite everything, she waved frantically to get his attention. He had never been so happy to see anyone in his entire life. When their eyes locked, a smile spread across her face. She paused to catch her breath.

  “I knew you’d find a way to get me,” his mother huffed.

  My God, he thought. She’s really alive. She’s been waiting for me to rescue her all these months.

  The closest Golem on the other side of the portal would be inside the cathedral well before she could pass through. Jason turned back to the nave. The Hell Spawn from outside had closed to within fifteen feet of his friends. When he faced back to the portal, the first Golem started to cross over, its right leg pushing through the shimmering surface into the choir section. Jason made his decision quickly, and it was easier than he had thought. He couldn’t risk the mission for his mother; not for the woman who caused this apocalypse in the first place.

  Lifting the antimatter device in his right hand, Jason tossed it into the Hell Gate.

  His mother’s scream of “No” was drowned out the moment the device touched the surface of the portal. The outer casing disintegrated on impact, releasing the antimatter inside. A blinding flash of light and a thunderous roar crashed through the cathedral, much brighter and louder than the explosion at CERN. Flames engulfed the portal, incinerating the Golem passing through into this realm. The Hell Gate burned intensely for a few seconds, consuming itself in the conflagration until it collapsed inward. With nothing left to support them, the weakened pillars gave way, and the arched roof at the east end of Notre Dame caved in, filling the choir section with debris and dust.